Howdy Folks!
The DoneintheDark.com crew has just returned from the taping of ABC-TV's Summer Special which will feature the Country Bears LIVE in concert! I must admit, it was GREAT!
The day began for us at 7am. We got there 1.5 hours prior to the suggested arrival time to be sure that we got in, since they had overbooked the show, and we were not guaranteed seats. When the time came to go in, (and with the line of Country Bear fans extending down Hollywood Blvd.) the DoneintheDark.com crew actually got to enter a bit before everyone else, which made for a great advantage, as we did not have to cattle herd like everyone else did. We got seated, and waited for the show to begin.
Now, as is the case with all TV show tapings, the process itself is long and tedious, but the payoff is well worth the wait.
Henry (master of ceremonies at Country Bear Hall) came out and entertained the crowd with some one-liners, while the other bears were backstage getting ready. Also on hand to keep us entertained between takes was "Bob" a comedian who regularly does warm-up for the Jay Leno Show, who supplied the guests with entertainment and prizes.
When the time came for the bears to be introduced, the director of the TV show came out on stage and brought those who were not long time bear fans up to speed on the bears long and incredible history. She advised that the bears had been a famous band in the late 60's and early 70's, and that they fell on hard times during the 80's. She told us of how the band had broken up after Lalapalooza 91, and had gone their separate ways. She then told us that the band had recently agreed to get back together and how they were starring in their own movie "The Country Bears" which would be showing in the very theater that we were filming the TV show in, The El Capitan! She also broke the news that the Country Bears would be performing LIVE after each showing of their new movie for the first month that the movie is out! That's right, the bears will be playing live concerts after every show at the El Capitan in Hollywood!
She then introduced us to the bears. First came Fred, who came out and startled the crowd by announcing that he was going to stage dive into the audience like he does in the trailer, and he went running for the edge of the stage! Luckily for the foundation of the building, he was joking, and stopped just inches short of the edge of the stage. Then came Ted, who asked us if we were all ready to see the Country Bears perform again! We all responded with a loud and energetic "YES!" Then came Zeb, who entertained us with a few twists and spins, and a joke or two. He is such a character! Last, but not least, came Tennessee, who was very shy, and simply thanked us all for being there.
Over the course of the next 10 hours, we (and two totally different crowds of guests-each of which were there for a tad over 4 hours, plus snack time) were treated to a live concert with full lighting and pyro effects. The bears performed three songs for us, "Straight to the Heart of Love," "Where Nobody Knows My Name", and their newest single, "Let It Ride," all of which were great songs.
Peter Hastings, the director of the movie "The Country Bears" stopped by the El Capitan theater for a few minutes, and was seen giving the bears a pep talk and wishing them the best of luck on their upcoming promotional tour. The bears are going to be airing their TV special on July 6th, and will be on the Tonight Show, starring Jay Leno in late June or early July.The host for the show is "Downtown" Julie Brown, who most of us will remember as an ex-VJ from MTV. There were cameras everywhere, and from what I can tell, the show is going to be a "Not to be Missed" TV event.
Beary Barrinson, 10 year old star of the upcoming Disney Pictures release "The Country Bears" was also on hand. He was in the crowd cheering and waving to the bears as they performed on stage. At one point in the show, Zeb came down off the stage, and met Beary with a great big "bear hug." There wasn't a dry eye in the place.
Lending to the star power in the audience was Paul Stanley, lead singer of the rock group KISS. Paul made a special trip out to see the taping, as he has been a long time Country Bear fan. We were glad to see that Paul could modify his busy schedule to attend the taping.
Now... one thing we all noticed was that Trixie and Big Al were not at the taping. A source close to the bears who wishes to remain anonymous advised that Trixie was unavailable due to a prior commitment (something having to do with a charity event, I was told) and Big Al chose to stay back at Country Bear Hall and tend to his garden. We were told that Al speaks to each and every plant, and treats them like family.
As the day went on, everyone was treated to his of her fill of the incredible phenomenon that is "The Country Bears." Many folks were stopping by the ticket booth as they exited to be sure that they had all the latest information available. They did not want to miss out on the opening day of "The Country Bears."
So to wrap things up, here are the specifics again of the information obtained about the bears, the special, and their new movie.
** Movie Release: July 26, 2002 **TV Special Air Date: July 6, 2002 (time unknown as of the taping)
** Appearance on Tonight Show: late June or early July **Host of TV Special: "Downtown" Julie Brown.
** Songs performed for the TV Special:
"Straight to the Heart of Love" "Where Nobody Knows My Name" "Let It Ride"
** Live concert by The Country Bears after each showing of the movie (El Capitan Theater Only) for the first month
The DoneintheDark.com crew would like to thank everyone responsible for allowing us to attend this special event, with special credit to Rebekah Moseley of LaughingPlace.com, and Kay Miller of the Once Upon A Classic Collector Society. We would also like to thank the cast and crew of The Country Bears for their hard work during this event. Special thanks are also given to the El Capitan Theater for hosting this event. Again, we would like to thank everyone, and we look forward to seeing you all at the Premiere!